at the helm of the atlanta kitchen is executive chef rj cooper, a detroit native and graduate of the acclaimed culinary school at kendall college in chicago. with years of experience in the restaurant industry, chef cooper has worked in and led the kitchens at notable restaurants from coast to coast including the dining room at the ritz-carlton in atlanta, ga, le bernardin in new york city, brasserie le coze in miami, florida and new heights restaurant and vidalia restaurant in washington, dc just to name a few. in 2006, chef cooper received a star chefs rising star award and then in 2007, won the james beard award for best mid-atlantic chef. if ya'll have never heard of this award, then i'll just put it in layman's terms---it's a pretty dang big deal! to be nominated for such an award is already a huge honor, but to win one is an even bigger deal! if the restaurant industry had their version of the olympics, the james beard foundation awards would easily be it! from chef cooper's progressive style and innovative culinary approach to his creation of signature dishes incorporating both locally and seasonally inspired ingredients with a hint of french cooking fundamentals tossed in, he's got what it takes to hold down the kitchen & lead his team on the path to success! so after months of following updates on their social media sites and more, i knew this was one event where i absolutely had to beat the rush hour traffic and the crowds because i just couldn't contain my excitement any longer!